


Chocolates or: The Art of Improvisation

by CuratorOfFluff



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Pre-Timeskip | Academy Phase (Fire Emblem: Three Houses), Sothis is Byleth's braincell
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-14 10:22:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 740
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29417079
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CuratorOfFluff/pseuds/CuratorOfFluff
Summary: Something doesn't go quite as planned, and Sothis cleans things up.(Valentine's themed story, not explicitly valentine's tho.)
Relationships: Edelgard von Hresvelg/My Unit | Byleth
Kudos: 78





	Chocolates or: The Art of Improvisation

The chocolates had melted. 

Byleth pouted. Sure, they hadn’t made much of a mess thanks to the packaging, but the fact remained that her gift was no longer in its intended state of matter. The professor huffed, drawing the attention of her spectral companion.

“ _This attitude certainly is not befitting of you. Surely it is not the end if a few sweet delights aren’t as…_ solid _as you’d hoped!”_

“But they weren’t supposed to be.” Byleth continued frowning. 

Sothis didn’t have to share mind and soul with the professor to determine the _real_ reason her friend was upset: _Edelgard’s_ chocolates had melted. A gift for her precious princess was no longer perfect. The goddess stared for a while longer at the downtrodden ex-mercenary, then thought to herself. The silence between them was broken when Sothis clapped her hands together, catching Byleth’s attention.

_“Right! Seeing as you are so hopelessly lost without my guidance, I believe I have devised a way to salvage your little gift. Let us depart for the dining hall, post-haste!”_

~~~~

Edelgard wasn’t entirely sure _why_ the professor had requested her presence. From her words, she inferred the occasion was similar to that of their usual tea times, but her body language suggested otherwise. The princess didn’t get much longer to consider the possibilities as she rounded the corner and found her teacher waiting at the table in the greenhouse. 

Her professor was _fidgeting_ , an act that seemed so incredibly out of character. Once the teacher’s cornflower eyes locked onto the house leader, her face lit up in a way that created a strange warmth in Edelgard’s chest. The princess wasted no time, taking a seat opposite to Byleth. 

“Thank you for inviting me, my teacher. Is there something special about today?” Edelgard noted the smell of bergamot blend from the tea pot, as well as the bright red carnations growing beside their table. _My favorites._ Edelgard felt her heart skip a beat. These feelings were unfamiliar, but she didn’t get the chance to ponder them for long before her professor slid a crimson box in the shape of a heart across the table. 

“Kind of. Remember when you saw those chocolates in town?” 

Edelgard blinked at that. She recalled a few months prior, they’d just returned from their mission to help quell Lord Lonato’s rebellion. Byleth had let everyone take the first three days off from classes, and both she and Edelgard were wandering about town, determined to find some way to cheer everyone up. They passed by a store window advertising gourmet chocolates by a professional who’d recently moved to Garreg Mach from Enbarr. 

Edelgard couldn’t help but get excited when she recognized the chocolates. She and her siblings used to love whenever their father brought that familiar heart-shaped box to each of them. It was one of the few times all her siblings would ever stay in one place, exchanging stories of their boring tutors as well as chocolates they didn’t care for. Edelgard had no idea Byleth had noticed her reaction to the confections. 

She also recalled finding a price tag on one of the boxes before. A number that would make some nobles go pale. 

“M-my teacher, did you really get these from the same store?” 

Byleth nodded enthusiastically. 

“But, if I am not mistaken, these must have cost--”

“I had to save for a bit, but I wanted to. For you.”

Edelgard blushed at that. That Byleth might have put herself in a financial hole for some silly chocolates felt ridiculous, but it also made her feel… fuzzy. She wasn’t sure what it all meant. 

Byleth’s enthusiasm waned a bit and she hung her head. “I, uh… also let them melt. But I got these, too.” The teacher slid a bowl across the table. Sliced peaches sat within, cool to the touch. “You can dip them. I hope it’s alright.” The professor seemed to be fighting the urge to frown.

Edelgard’s thoughts, meanwhile, swirled as she registered everything. Somehow, Byleth had managed to correctly guess not one, but _two_ of her now lost family rituals. Special chocolates and chilled fruits, sometimes eaten in tandem. Edelgard was sure that her face was bright pink by now, but somehow she didn’t care. She reached out and put her hand atop her teacher’s. 

“It’s perfect.” Professor and princess smiled warmly at one another.

Nearby, relaxing between the flower beds, Sothis grinned rather smugly to herself.

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Valentine's day 2021!


End file.
